


The Stained Glass Window

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-22
Updated: 2008-12-22
Packaged: 2019-01-19 20:39:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12417735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: It's two years after the war, and things aren't like they used to be.  But when a surprise visitor shows up on Harry Potter's doorstep one night, can she change everything?  Can she repair the broken fragments of his life?  Harry/Hermione, Draco/Ginny pairing





	The Stained Glass Window

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

**Chapter 1: The Graves**

He silently walked down the rows of grey headstones, through the thick snow that was blanketing the ground quickly. He could hardly see, it was falling so fast, but there was no way he could miss a day of coming here.

His feet barely made a noise, though most people would have crunched loudly through the snow. It was fresh; there were no footprints here, in this snow, and he knew there wouldn't be, except for his. His would be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day-every day for the rest of his life. The snow would fade, and there would be no visible proof that he had come here-but he would.

He followed the familiar route to the graves that he would visit, stopping when he reached them. There was a third he visited as well, but it lay in a different area, and these were much more important. He was here now; he studied them carefully, making sure they weren't harmed in any way. They weren't, though the flowers that he had placed there on Christmas Day a little over a week ago were completely wilted. He made a mental note to get some fake ones to put there for winter.

These were the headstones he stayed for a long time at; some days he sat here for hours at a time. Just sat. Numbly. The first was titled:

_Ronald Weasley  
Beloved Son, Brother, and Friend_

It was decorated beautifully, and the layer of snow on top of the headstone gave it a peaceful look. He just sat, staring. No tears came-not anymore. It was too late for that. There was only numbness now. He turned his attention to the next headstone, which was entitled:

_Ginny Weasley  
Beloved Daughter, Sister, and Friend_

At first he didn't like the idea of putting the same thing on both of their headstones-but as time drew on, he learned to appreciate it. It was as if they were together, even in death.

Regretfully, it was too cold to stay long, so he made his way to the other grave for a quick stop. This one was not a headstone; he had to locate it in the snow, and then brush it off to to reveal the title.

_Draco Malfoy  
Sit alive in nostrum pectus pectoris_

This was Latin-it translated to 'He is alive in our hearts.' That had been Narcissa's thing; she loved the idea of another language on his grave. There was a marble statue of him here too-the Malfoys had the money to make that happen, and he was their only son. This grave did have flowers in it as well-the ones from him were not as large and extravagant, but there were some large ones, probably from his mother and father.

After staying for a few seconds, silently, the man turned and walked back the path he had come, following the footprints that were already being filled in with the falling snow.

He got home and started to the kitchen to make himself some hot chocolate. This was not the life he would have thought he would live. He lived among Muggles; something he thought would never happen. But he found it easier this way-it was easier to ignore, and be ignored, in their world. He was probably known as the antisocial man that was just their neighbor-but he didn't care. Pulling himself away from the magical world seemed to be the only thing that made sense now.

That was never the life he would have wanted to lead. It was not the life he thought he would live. But times change.

This was now the life of Harry Potter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_"I'm going."_

_"No. You're not. You're staying right here."_

_"Harry! I have to!"_

_"Dammit, Ginny! Stay HERE!"_

_"I can't let him have my mother!"_

_A loud scream came from the room, causing Ginny to take off running in the other direction._

_"It's a trap, Ginny, it's a trap! No, Ginny...stop!" Harry started to run after her._

_The scene changed; it was dark now, and he was pushing against a door._

_"Harry, mate? Harry, where are you? Harry!"_

_"Ron, I'm here!"_

_"Harry? Where's Ginny?"_

_"She's in there-through this door!" Harry was panting as he tried with all his might to shove against the door. "He has your mum held captive-she went in to try and bargain with him."_

_"You let her go in there?"_

_"She just took off-he's going to kill her if we don't-" There was another scream._

_"Harry!" A shrill voice came from behind them-it was Hermione. "Harry, don't you see? It's a trap, he just wants you to turn yourself in-he's going to get at you by taking everyone else!"_

_She grabbed his arm and pulled. "Come on! We can save her another way!"_

_"Another way?"_

_"Just follow me, Harry!"_

_Ron still stood by the door, bewildered. "Ron, are you coming? RON!" Hermione shrieked._

_"No. I'm not coming, Hermione. I have to save my sister. I have to save my mother. I have to go in there."_

_"NO!" They both yelled at the same time, but just as they started to run for him, two pairs of strong hands held them back. Harry recognized the voice in his ear as Lupin._

_"Come with me," he said firmly, pulling._

_"No-but-NO!! Ron! Ron and Ginny! They're going IN THERE!"_

_"I know, Harry. Come on. We will save them. I promise."_

_"RON!" Hermione was screaming. "RON! I love you, Ron!"_

_But Ron had already disappeared. Disappeared into the room, through the door._

_The scene suddenly blurred. There were yells, screams, and finally, flashes of green light. Harry was falling, falling down, because he knew that Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny were all dead and it was his fault. Malfoy-he had gone in there earlier to save Ginny for some unfathomable reason-must be gone too. Malfoy's last act-heroic. Saving Ginny; the love of Harry's life. His vision dropped, he sank..._

Harry woke up abruptly, pouring sweat. Shaking his head as if to rid himself of this recurring dream, he got up to get himself a drink of ice water. He thought about taking a shower as well, but decided against it-it was 12:37 a.m., according to his digital clock by his bed.

He made his way downstairs, filled up his glass with ice and water, and gulped it down. After drinking three glasses, he felt better, and the effects of the dream were starting to wear off. But suddenly, his heart was pounding again. Someone was knocking on the door.

No one had knocked on that door since he had moved here. And now here someone was, knocking at almost 1:00 in the morning. Who could this be? Harry went to put his dish in the sink and head back upstairs; but the door was rapped on again, anxiously, and Harry's curiousity got the better of him. Before he could reach the stairs, he turned and headed towards the front door.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After Harry fell asleep, she always went outside. The other two hardly joined her, for they seemed to get along just fine 'inside the house.' She always rolled her eyes at this.. It's not like they were really there. And plus, they wouldn't feel the cold even if they were outside.

She could feel it when Harry woke up, from his nightmare. Every night this happened. She could feel the change in herself, the fear she felt, until she remembered that he was awake now, and that's always when she went back into the house.

He couldn't see her. Of course not. But sometimes she thought he could feel her there-feel her presence that was with him, always. The other two were usually here as well, although a lot of times Malfoy left to go visit his parents for a while. She just stayed here.

It was a very peculiar thing. Seeing the alive world was like watching someone through a stained-glass window. They seemed to shimmer. She could see them, but they had no idea that she could see him. But, like she thought, sometimes his subconscious told him that someone was watching over him.

After she watched Harry get a drink of water, she was startled by a loud rap on the door. This couldn't be. No one visited Harry anymore. Ron was instantly by her side. "Someone is knocking?" he asked, bewildered.

She nodded at her brother, and asked, "Where is Draco?"

"He felt his parents wake up. He went over there to watch them for a while. It's almost been two years since we died...he probably won't be here very often. He'll be with his parents."

Ginny nodded. Of course-she had almost forgotten. She watched Harry struggle with the decision to open the door with pained eyes. She wanted nothing more than for him to find someone, anyone, even if was just an animal, to spend some time with. Not being social like this meant he would probably soon join them.

"I still can't believe he died to save you." Ginny snapped out of her reverie and had to think about Ron's words for a moment until she remembered that he was still talking about Draco.

"I know," Ginny said, a small smile playing at her lips. "I guess him and his family weren't so bad, after all. They turned out all right."

"Yes," Ron agreed. "But he still is a slimy git sometimes."

Ginny giggled and nodded. How true that was. Harry was putting his dish in the sink, so she floated outside to see who was at the door before Harry could. What she saw made her non-beating heart drop. "Ron!" she yelled. "You might want to come see this!"


End file.
